Category Archives: results

IIHS Slams Luxury Cars over Frontal Crash Protection Results

Only three of 11 midsize luxury and near-luxury cars evaluated earn good or acceptable ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new small overlap frontal crash test, the latest addition to a series of tests designed to force automakers to continue to develop safer vehicles that perform well beyond government mandated regulations. Continue reading

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Mercedes-Benz Recalls ML Class Floor Mats for Pedal Interference

Unlike the infamous floor mat recalls on Toyota and Lexus models starting in 2010, which had associated deaths, Mercedes-Benz uses an electronic brake-override that is standard equipment across the line. Drivers can bring any Mercedes to a stop by depressing the brake pedal, even if the gas pedal is fully depressed or jammed at the floor. When both the brake pedal and gas pedal are depressed at the same time, vehicle electronics override the gas pedal signal and bring the engine to idle as long as the driver keeps the brake pedal depressed. Continue reading

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GM Bids on Ally’s International Auto Lending Business

The GM bid carries some potential risks for U.S. taxpayers, which still own a large part of the company. If GM buys the international Ally businesses, it could expand lending overseas, but not without potentially hurting liquidity. GM Financial’s consolidated assets could more than double, and it could incur substantial amounts of indebtedness, including secured debt. GM Financial’s ratio of adjusted assets to adjusted equity could more than double as well. It all depends on how much GM acquires, and then its ability to successfully run the new operations while integrating them into the larger company. Continue reading

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Jaguar Land Rover Begins 24 Hour Shifts at Halewood

Jaguar Land Rover at its Halewood plant is now running around the clock production, the first time the factory has run flat out in its 50-year history. The new night shift, which began at 21.30 last evening required the hiring of 1,000 production workers. Continue reading

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Regulations Work as Airlines Set On Time Records, Cut Delays

The biggest airlines in the U.S. posted records for the first half of 2012 for on-time performance, fewest cancellations and tarmac delays, as well as the lowest mishandled baggage rates. According to the Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the 15 largest U.S. airlines posted an 83.7% on-time arrival rate during the first six months of 2012, the highest mark for any January-June period in the 18 years the Department has collected comparable data. Continue reading

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Ford China Sales up 32% in July to 43,000

Ford China sales in July totaled 42,560 up 32%. Most of the increase was due to the joint venture Changan Ford Mazda, which sold 26,306 Ford-brand cars, an increase of 44% from July of 2011. Sales of the old and new Focus dominated the results. Total Ford brand car sales including the imported Edge and Explorer were 27,498. Continue reading

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JMC and Ford to Buy Taiyuan Changan Heavy Truck in China

Ford Motor Company is reentering the heavy truck market through its partner Jiangling Motors Corporation in China. JMC will buy Taiyuan Changan Heavy Truck Company, its first entry into the heavy truck business. JMC currently builds Ford Transits under license from Ford, and Ford owns 30% of the light commercial vehicle maker. Continue reading

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U.S. and Mexico Sign Agreement on Decreasing Border Pollution

The U.S. and Mexico today signed an agreement to reduce pollution, exposure to chemicals accidents or terrorism, and improve environmental stewardship. It is the latest environmental cleanup program implemented under the 1983 U.S.-Mexico La Paz Agreement covering public health problems in the 2,000-mile border region. The border is home to more than 14 million people and one of the busiest trade regions in the world. Continue reading

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GM Invests in NanoSteel, Claims New Class of Light Weight Materials

General Motors has invested an undisclosed amount in The NanoSteel Company because it claims the firm is a leader in light weight steel materials design. Through the development of patented alloys, NanoSteel has created a new class of steel that in theory allows automotive engineers and designers to reduce weight with thinner, higher strength gauges while maintaining the structural integrity needed for safety. Continue reading

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BMW Group Records Record Sales in July

BMW group today in Munich posted its best sales result for any July. With 135,537 (2011 – 129,102) BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide last month, the company increased its sales by 5.0% compared to the previous year.

It was also the first time in the company’s history that more one million vehicles had been delivered in the first seven months. From January to July deliveries rose 7.6% to 1,036,088 vehicles (962,493). Continue reading

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Ford C-Max Hybrid EPA Rated at 47 MPG in all Categories

The all-new Ford C-Max Hybrid that goes on sale this fall is now EPA-certified at 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined. This makes it the first hybrid without a window sticker decline in highway fuel economy ratings. Whether this is real or the product of carefully calibrating the C-Max to the test cycle awaits independent verification. Continue reading

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General Motors Sales in China Set All Time July and CYTD Record

General Motors and its joint ventures sold 199,503 vehicles in China, in July, a 15.1% increase from last year’s previous record high for the month. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s sales reached 98,694 units, an all-time high for July and an increase of 26.6% year on year. Continue reading

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Treasury To Sell More AIG Stock. Taxpayers Still Owed $24 Billion and Hold 53% from Controversial Bailout of Reckless Company

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it expects to receive an additional $750 million from its public offering of American International Group (AIG) common stock. The Wall Street underwriters have exercised their so-called over-allotment option to purchase another 24.6 million additional shares of AIG common stock at the public offering price of $30.50 per share. Continue reading

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Japanese Makes Take Top Three Spots in China Customer Satisfaction

The Japanese, led by Guangqi Honda, took the top three ratings in the 2012 China Customer Service Index. Honda – and its government-mandated local partner – was followed by Dongfeng Honda Automobile and GAC Toyota. Dongfeng took five out of the first ten spots in the latest quality survey. Continue reading

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Toyota Posts Strong Results in Q1 of the Japanese Fiscal Year

Toyota Motor Corporation today said that Q1 results for the Japanese fiscal year produced a profit of ¥90.3 billion yen ($3.71 billion). Toyota posted vehicle sales for the first quarter of 2.27 million cars and trucks, an increase of 1.04 million compared to the same period last fiscal year. The largest Japanese auto company also raised its full year sales forecast some 180,000 vehicles, to 9.76 million cars this year, a better than 20% increase from 7.95 million cars in 2011. If current trends hold, Toyota will become the world’s largest automaker with more than 10 million vehicles sold blowing by a slumping General Motors when the books are closed for the 2012 calendar year. Year to date Toyota is ahead of GM by more than 300,000 units. Continue reading

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